The Nebraska Cornhuskers opened the 2013 season with a close game against the lesser Wyoming Cowboys. Bo Pelini saw his squad play a close game against a team they should have blown out of the water, but the Cornhuskers came out on top even though they were outplayed yardage-wise.

On the other side of the field, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles finished week one with more yards than the competition, yet lost by a score of 22-15. The big difference in the game was Texas State‘s battle for time of possession — which they won — and Southern Miss’s six turnovers.

Nebraska’s offense has been one of the best in the Big Ten for the past couple of seasons and week one was no different as it accounted for 530 yards, including 155 yards and three passing touchdowns from Taylor Martinez. Imani Cross and Ameer Abdullah combined for 219 yards and two touchdowns for the Cornhuskers.

Southern Miss had 400 yards of total offense in week one against Texas State. However, the lack of a rushing attack held them back big time. Running for just 23 yards and turning the ball over six times is the recipe for disaster. Two interceptions and four lost fumbles won’t win you any games. The one positive to take away was the 377 passing yards from Allan Bridgford.

The Cornhuskers’ defense was a big question mark heading into the 2013 season and it remains as such after giving up over 600 yards of offense to Wyoming. The pass defense allowed 383 yards through the air and four passing touchdowns. Southern Miss allowed just 210 yards to Texas State, but allowed them to control the clock throughout the game.

Southern Miss will travel to Nebraska to take on the Cornhuskers at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday, Sept. 7. The game will be aired on the Big Ten Network.

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